Manual steaming apparatus

ABSTRACT

A novel manual steaming apparatus is disclosed with an improved balanced handle which is offset from the steam delivery tube and affixed axially thereto by a strap which is embedded in the handle. The steaming apparatus employs direct-spray nozzles with openings arranged to give a spray configuration which is inclined to the horizontal sufficient to prevent substantial overlap and interspray condensation, and to effect better steam penetration.

0 United States Patent [1 1 3,673,827 Hales July 4, 1972 [54] MANUAL STEAMING APPARATUS 1,552,900 9 1925 Weiler 401/285 72 Inventor: John H Hales Aurora Utah 84620 3,191,871 6/1965 Palmer ..239/568 [22] Filed: June 19, 1970 Primary Examiner-William l. Price [2| Ap No; 47,895 Att0rr|eyDonald W. Canady Related U.S. Application Data 57 ABSTRACT fggg g of 765308 A novel manual steaming apparatus is disclosed with an imdbandone proved balanced handle which is offset from the steam delivery tube and affixed axially thereto by a strap which is 2395326523633 embedded in the handle The steaming apparatus p y [58] Field of Search ..239/568, 597,598, 601,450, p y "022185 wi h Openings arranged to give a s ra 239 525 52 530 3 550; 5 322 302; 40 configuration which is inclined to the horizontal sufficient to 68/5 R 222 240 6 prevent substantial overlap and interspray condensation, and

to effect better steam penetration. [56] References Cited 12 Claims, 6 Drawing Flgures UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,164,940 12/1915 Jackson ..239/530 PATENTEDJUL 4|972 3.673.827

SHEU 1 BF 3 fie INVENTOR. JOHN H HAL/55' Mam;

ATTOEIVEK PA'TENTEmuL- 4 I972 3.673.827

SHEET 30F 3 INVENTOR. JOHN H HALES BY Ma/M ATTOE/VEX I MANUAL STEAMING APPARATUS This application is a continuation-in-part application of my application Ser. No. 765,308, filed Oct. 7, 1968 and now abandoned.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION My present invention relates to a manual steaming ap paratus, and more particularly to steam spraying apparatus for applying steam to a fabric, e.g. a drapery or the like, during the forming and stretching of a drapery subsequent to dry cleaning.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION Manual steaming apparatus such as the steam wands heretofore known, have been awkward to manipulate because the handle portion gripped by the operator, directly encompasses the steam delivery tube and as a result of heat transfer the handle becomes too hot for the operator to hold for a prolonged time. Also, because of the heating and cooling of the steam delivery tube, the handle portion tends to become loose and slide axially along the steam delivery tube.

Accordingly, an object of my present invention is to provide an improved steam wand with a portion of the handle firmly attached to the steam delivery tube.

Another object of my present invention is to provide a steam wand with a handle of a high heat insulating material which is affixed to the steam delivery tube of the wand by means offset from the handle.

It is also an object of my present invention to provide a steam wand with a handle attached to the steam delivery tube in such a manner as to provide balance in the hand of the operator.

In the dry cleaning art it is sometimes desirable to apply steam to fabrics, e.g. draperies and the like, by spraying with a plurality of steam spray jets to cover a broad area. The steam spraying apparatus, sometimes called a steam wand, as heretofore known, consists of a plurality of nozzles which contain baffles against which the steam is sprayed prior to delivery to the fabric. The use of baffles, however, to disperse the steam results in condensation of the steam and only limited penetration of the steam into the fabric.

Therefore, it is a further object of my present invention to provide a type of steam spray nozzle which gives greater penetration of steam into the fabric by application of the steam directly to the fabric.

Each of the plurality of spaced apart jet nozzles in the spray wands, of the prior art, provide a spray which tends to intersect the spray from adjacent nozzles and cause formation of liquid, e.g. condensate, betweenspray nozzles, resulting in an non-uniform distribution of spray across the area covered by the spray wand.

Accordingly, it is a further object of my present invention to provide a steam nozzle whose spray does not intersect the spray from adjacent nozzles.

It is a further object of my present invention to provide a steam wand having a plurality of spray nozzles arranged to give a spray pattern with uniform distribution of steam across the width of the spray.

In order to prevent overspray or underspray, spray wands should have the nozzle orifices of the spray pipes, arranged to direct the fluid sprayed against the article being sprayed, in each of the several positions at which the operator normally holds the wand during use.

It is therefore a further object of my present invention to provide a spray nozzle orifice designed to direct spray from a vertically or horizontally positioned spray wand against a vertically positioned article.

Other objects a more complete understanding of my present invention may be had by reference to the following specification when taken in conjunction with the appended claims and the accompanying drawings, wherein BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows a steam wand in position to apply steam to the folds of a vertically supported drapery;

FIG. 2 shows an enlarged side view, partially in section, of the handle of the steam wand of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2, showing the metal strap connector within the tube handle.

FIG. 4 shows a steam wand employing nozzles designed according to my present invention,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on line 22 of FIG. 4 showing the spray nozzle tip, and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of one of the spray nozzles shown in FIGS. 1 and 4.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION With reference to FIG. 2, the steam wand of my present invention is provided with a novel handle 10 which is attached to the delivery tube 12 firmly by means of a sweat strap 14, embedded in that portion of the handle which encompasses the tube 12. The handle 10 comprises a body portion 16 with a longitudinal opening 18 through which the steam delivery tube 12 extends. The housing 16 is attached to a handle grip 20 which is disposed approximately parallel to the steam delivery tube 12 and of a size and length to provide better balance and consequent ease of operation. Axial movement of the steam delivery tube 12 through the handle housing 16 is provided by sweat strap 14 (FIG. 3) which is firmly fitted to the steam delivery tube 12 and attached by a screw or pin 22 to the handle.

The steam wand employs spray nozzles which have direct jet openings 60 and which are angled slightly as best illustrated in FIG. 6 as angle a, to give a spray pattern wherein the spray from each nozzle (as shown in phantom line) does not intersect spray from adjacent nozzles, thus giving a wider spray pattern and more uniform distribution of steam which results in better penetration of the steam into the fabric and less condensation. wasteful spray of steam overhead when the pipe 26 is vertical and spray of steam on the floor when the pipe is held horizontally, is prevented by directing the orifice 61 at an angle b (FIG. 5).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows the steam delivery apparatus of a steam wand. A plurality of jet nozzles 24 are arranged on tubes 26 in a fingerlike pattern and attached to a manifold tube 28. The jet tubes 26 are spaced apart to permit insertion into folds 29 of a drapery 30. The manifold tube 28 is connected to steam delivery tube 12 and this steam delivery apparatus is attached by a suitable connector 32 to a steam supple hose 34, as shown in FIG. 2. When the steam wand is used with a drapery as shown in FIG. 1, the drapery is preferably mounted on a pleating and stretching machine, for example, of the type shown in my US. Pat. No. 3,506,]69 issued Apr. 14, 1970.

The drapery as shown in FIG. 1 is put under tension and steamed lightly to remove wrinkles and assist in forming. If extensive stretching of the drapery is necessary to compensate for the shrinkage during dry cleaning, additional steam is applied to the drapery through the steam delivery apparatus, with the steam jets inserted in the folds and the wand combed vertically in the drapery folds until the application of steam relaxes the fabric and causes the drapery to hang limp on the drapery pleating and stretching machine. The drapery may then by stretched to the desired length by adding tension to the drapery by appropriate manipulation of the aforementioned machine.

The steam wand must be easily manipulated manually and such manipulation is greatly facilitated by a wand which is balanced at the handle portion 20. The steam handle 10 is placed on the steam delivery apparatus by insertion of tube 12 in such a position as to facilitate the desired balance of the steam wand in the hand of the operator. The housing 16 has a cylindrical opening 18 therein shaped to receive the steam delivery tube 12.

The handle may conveniently be fabricated in two vertically split half sections, which are then fastened together by pins or screws 38 and 22. One half of the handle may be milled out for convenience, in the area of the sweat strap, to receive the sweat strap.

The sweat strap 14, as best shown in FIG. 3, is firmly applied to the tube 12 by conventional sweating", e.g. by wrapping the strap 14 in a heated condition, around the steam delivery tube 12 50 that as it cools and shrinks, the strap will firmly grip the steam delivery tube 12. The strap has a retaining portion 42 which extends upwardly above the tube into the housing 16 and is secured in the housing with a screw 22 which passes through a hole 44 in the upper end of the strap.

THe handle portion may be formed with an internal cavity 46 therein for receiving a steam control switch which may be electrically attached to the steamvalve actuator (not shown) by the electrical wire 48 through a channel 50 provided in the handle. The switch may be placed in the handle and its control button made accessible to the operator, through knockout portion 52. Portion 52 is of reduced thickness and may be prestamped for easy removal.

The handle 10, which is made of a material of low thermal conductivity, such as wood or a molded plastic, comprises a housing portion 16 with a handle grip 20 attached thereto through a neck portion 36. The handle grip portion 12 may be provided with a pistol grip 54 for convenience in handling by the operator.

With reference to FIG. 4, each of the pipes 26 is provided at its outer end with a nozzle 24 which is shown in enlarged view in FIG. 6. The nozzle is inserted on the end of the pipe 26 as shown in the cross sectional view, FIG. 5, with the upper end of the pipe 26 engaging the internal shoulder portion 70 to fix the position of the nozzle on the pipe 26. A cavity 72 in the nozzle provides communication from the pipe 26 to the orifice 60, which, as shown in FIG. 5, is cut in the form of a slot in the side 74 of the nozzle. Hence, steam exiting the tube 26 through the cavity 72 and slot-like orifice 60 sprays directly on the fabric or other article being sprayed. THe nozzles 76 are positioned on their respective pipe ends with the orifices facing the same direction as shown in FIG. 4. The orifices may be retained on the pipe ends by any convenient means, e.g. soldering, threading, crimping, etc.

Referring now to FIG. 6, the orifice 60 is cut as with a radial saw, in the side of the nozzle 74 at a slight angle a from the horizontal. This angle a is preferably between 70 and 20 from the horizontal with an angle of about l-20 being preferable. The slot-like orifice is out sufficiently deep in the side of the nozzle to intersect the cavity 72, so as to provide an exit path for the pressurized fluid in the nozzle pipe 26.

The slot-like shape of the orifices'60 causes the spray to issue from the nozzles 24 in a substantially flat or plane pattern. The slight incline of the orifice slot to the horizontal results in the issuance of a spray which is also inclined to the horizontal so that the plurality of nozzles mounted on spaced apart pipe, as shown in FIG. 4, results in a multiplicity of spray patterns 76 from the several nozzles 24, which do not intersect patterns from adjacent nozzles to thus prevent formation of condensation zones at intersecting spray patterns. As a result of the elimination of such condensation zones, a more efficient and uniform distribution of steam spray may be effected.

The orifice slot 61 is inclined as shown in cross sectional view, FIG. 5, at an angle b of about 20 to 60 to prevent spraying vertically up into the air when the wand is held in a vertical position (as when b=90) or downwardly on the floor when the wand is held in a horizontal position as when b 0). Although I: may be in the range of from about 20 to 60, it is preferably about 30.

Thus it may be seen that my present invention provides an improved steam wand with a balanced handle 10 which is firmly attached to the steam delivery tube 12 with a novel sweat strap arrangement, and nozzles with a novel orifice configuration WhICh spray dlrectly on the fabric In non-intersecting spray pattern.

While my present invention has been described above with reference to a specific embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the apparatus without departing from the scope of my invention and the scope of my invention should not be limited to the specific embodiments as set forth above, but should be afforded the full breadth of the appended claims.

I claim: 1. Steam spraying apparatus for applying steam from a steam supply hose to a fabric, comprising:

a steam delivery apparatus including a plurality of spray tubes having nozzles thereon, a steam delivery tube, and tubular means for holding said spray tubes and conveying steam from said delivery tube through said spray tubes to said nozzles;

handle means for manipulating said steam delivery apparatus comprising a delivery tube housing adapted to encompass and firmly engage said delivery tube, and

handle grip means connected to said housing and spaced apart from said delivery tube, for manually manipulating said steam delivery apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 including a retainer strap associated with said housing and sweat fitted onto said delivery tube for preventing movement of said handle means on said delivery tube.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 including means for affixing said strap to said housing. I

4. The apparatus of claim 1 including a nozzle configuration wherein each of the nozzles has a slot cut therein to communicate with said tubular means, said slots being cut in the sides of said nozzle tips at an angle inclined from the horizontal whereby each tip provides a substantially flat spray pattern which does not intersect the spray pattern from adjacent nozzles.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each nozzle has a cavity therein in fluid communication with said tube, and a slot is cut in the side of said nozzles to intersect said cavity, said slots being cut at an angle inclined from the horizontal.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said slots are cut at an angle of from about 7 to 20 from the horizontal, when viewing said nozzle from said fabric.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said angle is from about 10 to 12. v

8. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said orifice slot is cut at an angle of from about 20 to 60 from the horizontal when viewing said nozzle normal to the direction of spray through said orifice slot.

9. The apparatus of claim 8. wherein said angle is about 30.

10. In a steam spraying apparatus for applying steam from a supply hose to the fabric with a steam delivery apparatus which includes a plurality of spray nozzles, a steam delivery tube, and tubular means for holding said nozzles in spaced relationship and conveying steam from said delivery tube to said nozzles, the improvement comprising in combination:

a handle means for manipulation said steam delivery apparatus including a steam delivery tube housing adapted to encompass and firmly engage said delivery tube,

handle grip means connected to said housing and spaced therefrom through a neck portion, and

means within said housing for gripping and firmly engaging said steam delivery tube therein.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said handle means are formed in two halves which are fastened together and wherein the handle halves are milled out to receive said gripping means.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, including switch means for controlling the steam delivery, and a milled section in said handle for'receiving said switch means. 

1. Steam spraying apparatus for applying steam from a steam supply hose to a fabric, comprising: a steam delivery apparatus including a plurality of spray tubes having nozzles thereon, a steam delivery tube, and tubular means for holding said spray tubes and conveying steam from said delivery tube through said spray tubes to said nozzles; handle means for manipulating said steam delivery apparatus comprising a delivery tube housing adapted to encompass and firmly engage said delivery tube, and handle grip means connected to said housing and spaced apart from said delivery tube, for manually manipulating said steam delivery apparatus.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 including a retainer strap associated with said housing and sweat fitted onto said delivery tube for preventing movement of said handle means on said delivery tube.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2 including means for affixing said strap to said housing.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 including a nozzle configuration wherein each of the nozzles has a slot cut therein to communicate with said tubular means, said slots being cut in the sides of said nozzle tips at an angle inclined from the horizontal whereby each tip provides a substantially flat spray pattern which does not intersect the spray pattern from adjacent nozzles.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each nozzle has a cavity therein in fluid communication with said tube, and a slot is cut in the side of said nozzles to intersect said cavity, said slots being cut at an angle inclined from the horizontal.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said slots are cut at an angle of from about 7* to 20* from the horizontal, when viewing said nozzle from said fabric.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said angle is from about 10* to 12*.
 8. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said orifice slot is cut at an angle of from about 20* to 60* from the horizontal when viewing said nozzle normal to the direction of spray through said orifice slot.
 9. The apparatus of claim
 8. wherein said angle is about 30*.
 10. In a steam spraying apparatus for applying steam from a supply hose to the fabric with a steam delivery apparatus which includes a plurality of spray nozzles, a steam delivery tube, and tubular means for holding said nozzles in spaced relationship and conveying steam from said delivery tube to said nozzles, the improvement comprising in combination: a handle means for manipulation said steam delivery apparatus including a steam delivery tube housing adapted to encompass and firMly engage said delivery tube, handle grip means connected to said housing and spaced therefrom through a neck portion, and means within said housing for gripping and firmly engaging said steam delivery tube therein.
 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said handle means are formed in two halves which are fastened together and wherein the handle halves are milled out to receive said gripping means.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11, including switch means for controlling the steam delivery, and a milled section in said handle for receiving said switch means. 